Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cheltenham Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cheltenham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,148 in Cheltenham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,224 in Cheltenham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,300 in Cheltenham.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 3% more expensive than Cheltenham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Cheltenham 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$20.14 £15.00

-21.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$80.4 £59.9

-19.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$11.04 £8.22

-4.80%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.55 £3.39

-36.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.04 £1.52

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.38 £1.03

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$5.57 £4.15

-37.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$6.84 £5.10

-43.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.46 £1.09

-21.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.71 £0.53

146.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.98 £1.47

-11.11%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.45 £3.32

-27.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$4.75 £3.53

184.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.41 £5.52

6.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$15.55 £11.58

2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.07 £1.54

11.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.72 £1.28

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.07 £1.54

-2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.45 £2.57

-28.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.34 £1.00

37.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.85 £1.37

8.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.07 £0.80

80.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.57 £1.17

-49.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$17.02 £12.68

-61.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$11.02 £8.21

-48.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.95 £1.45

-29.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.94 £1.44

53.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.50 £2.60

-32.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$57.3 £42.65

-20.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.99 £2.97

7.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.39 £1.04

-41.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$25.82 £19.23

-29.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.97 £1.47

4.57%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.2K £28.5K

-10.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.3K €33.8K

$42.0K £31.2K

-6.34%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$148 €127

$257 £191

-42.38%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.52 €17.67

$15.72 £11.71

30.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$42.39 £31.57

-6.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$43.97 £32.75

8.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$24.08 £17.93

-21.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$13.34 £9.94

-31.18%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$614 €529

$1,374 £1,023

-55.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$13.6K £10.2K

17.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$112 £83.4

-6.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$35.79 £26.65

17.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$112 £83.3

-15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$97.2 £72.4

23.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,209 £900

34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$937 £698

33.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$2,271 £1,691

33.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,637 £1,219

23.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$5,704 £4,248

36.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$5,779 £4,304

-26.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$3,932 £2,929

-59.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.79

-34.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cheltenham: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,209 in Cheltenham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheltenham pays 145% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $80.0 in Cheltenham. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $258, with Cheltenham cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Cheltenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheltenham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cheltenham earns 145% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,209 in Cheltenham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheltenham – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,148 in Cheltenham – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,148 in Cheltenham versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cheltenham but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cheltenham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cheltenham is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cheltenham are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cheltenham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.